Toy railway track



June 6, 1933. F. OTTENSTEIN 1,913,236

TOY RAILWAY TRACK Filed June 20, 1952 Fi .2 m 12 5 .9 -73 ,x-q -fi I Z Y 4 r1 3 I 8 i 6 flfn fan Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTQFFWE FRIEDRICH o'rriins'rnm, or emanate; enmviliivr j.

TOY RAILWAY annex.

A plication filed 11111520, 1932, Serial No. 618,329,; and in G erm'any June 29,1931.

This invention relates to means for releasably fixing the rails for toy railways, in which the rail rests in a recess of the sleeper corresponding to the rail section. The provision of such recesses or insertion channels has already been proposed in connection with the fixing 0t rails in wooden sleepers. In that case the rails are held by friction in the grooves of the sleepers without any further fixing means, the security of the rails depending on the accuracy of the dimensions of the groove and of the profile of the rail toot. Through slight deviations from. these dimensions which occur in the manufacture of the rails which are made from folded over sheet metal and are also due to the nature of the wood, this mode of connecting the rail and the sleeper easily tails.

According to the invention a secure clamping of the rails on the sleepers is ensured by additional fixing means in the form of a spring clip which presses the rail against the upper marginal edges of the openings in the sides of the sleeper. An additional fixing device has already been proposed in connection with non-releasable connections.

This onsists in a metal strip which extends through the two rails and which, by being bent over, is connected rigidly with the sleeper for the purpose of pressing the rails firmly into the recesses. This can, however, only be effected imperfectly, as the wedging actions of the inserted sheet metal strip at the fixing places can naturally not be equal. According to the invention each In the top of the sleeper 1, which is made of an elongated rectangular. piece of sheet metal bent to the t'orm of a; U,1S a: punched central hole 3 with downwardly extending sides 2. Transverse slots 4 in the top of the sleeper 1 and openings 5 adaptedto fit '55. the rail section provide openings through which therails can beinserted, which are parallel to. one another at gauge distance and. are so dimensioned that the lower half of the; rail can. be pushedlthrough 9 the opening 5, 1 1, 5 thus formed. Below the openings: 5. a leaf spring 6. is disposed on the sides of the sleeper, which arches into the openings of theinsertion ,ot the rails (Fig. and the twoends; of which rest in notches12 provided in the sideslot the sleeper. 1 1

When a rail 7 isinserted in the openingh, 4,5 the leaf spring 6 is pressed downwards, that is to say, the rail foot is. forced by the .7? pressure ofithis spring against vthe upper edges 5w ofthe openings 5, the rail 7 thus being held firmly inthe sleeper. The webs of the rails are guided in the slots 4 in the top; of the sleeper. In place of leaf springs 7 other forms of spring can be used. Through the middle hole 3 (Fig. 2) the rectangular neck 9 provided with a head 8 of aninsulating block 10 is inserted, which is for instance of semicircular cross-section and is d provided with a groove 11 at the apex. The groove 11 extends parallel to the rails 7 and is of such dimensions that a wire 18 which is pushed through it and acts as a live rail held securely by the groove 11, but extends i somewhat above the groove. The block 10 is held in position by the two flaps 2 of the middle hole 3, which are bent downwards out of the sleeper top and which bear against the rectangular neck 9 of the block 10 and d against the shoulder formed by the head 8. In parts of the track where the rails 7 have to be specially secure against axial displacement, for instance at points and crossings, the spring clips will preferably be disposed in the longitudinal direction of the sleeper 1 (Figs. 4 and 5). For this purpose the spring clips 14 are provided at their two ends with bent over limbs 15, with which they are suspended in slots 16 in the top of the sleeper 1. The arcuate part of the spring 14 engages in a transverse recess 17 milled into the foot of the rail 7 whereby the rail is secured against longitudinal displacement, even when subjected to an increased load.

The cross-sections of the grooves for the live rail and for the rails of the track are not limited to those shown in the constructional example illustrated, but will be adapted to the particular section of the track rail and live rail used.

WVhat I claim is:

1. In a toy railway track a rail, a sleeper, a recess or opening in the sleeper, of the shape of the rail foot, through which the rail can be inserted, and an arched spring clamp adapted to press the rail against the upper edges of the recess, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a toy railway track a rail, a sleeper of U-shaped cross-section, a recess in the upper part of the sleeper of the shape of the rail foot, through which the rail can be inserted, and a spring clip adapted to be sprung between the sides of the sleeper so as to be arched upwards and press the rail against the upper edges of the recess, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a toy railway track a rail, a sleeper, a recess or opening in the sleeper of the shape of the rail foot, through which the rail can be inserted, a U-shaped spring clamp having an arched Web adapted to press the rail against the upper edges-ofthe recess and a transverse groove in the rail foot adapted to engage with the arched web of the clip, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

FRIEDRICH OTTENSTEINl 

